George Bush lost the 1992 election to Bill Clinton by focussing on the wrong thing. Bush focussed on his record, and success in Gulf War one. Clinton focussed on the economy and jobs, and won the election, thus giving rise to the saying “It’s the economy, stupid”. In other words, focus on the right thing. Often it is right in front of you, and afterwards you can seem stupid for not spotting it.

It’s much the same when it comes to planning your financial future.

Too often we see people focussing on particular financial products as a cure to their financial ills. Often the discussion goes along the lines of, “Should we have an allocated pension?” or, “Is an annuity the answer?” or “Is superannuation worth it?” or …….

'Securing Your Future' was the most viewed material on The West Australian’s website yesterday. It’s the online version of The West’s financial planning supplement.

The West Australian newspaper published a financial planning supplement yesterday 'Securing Your Future'(Monday 22 August 2016). I contributed an article to the supplement and participated in a video for The West's website. You might like to read the articles online - there is some useful material.

What you need to know on Sequencing and Retirement Income - John Cameron - The West Australian on August 21, 2016, 6:00 am. Video Presentation & Article: Different decades, different investment returns.

Security is something keenly sought by investors, and is particularly important to people at or near retirement.

However, our whole approach to security is being challenged by the current climate of low interest rates, where there are trillions of dollars invested in bonds world-wide, that are earning negative returns.

Closer to home, term deposits attract around 3%pa, while a diversified portfolio of shares can show around 6% to 8% after allowing for tax credits. Investments can be made directly, or via managed funds deliberately managed to harvest a stream of dividends.

One of the most powerful tools in financial planning is the boring old household budget – especially on the expenses side.

While there are many reasons why people get into financial difficulty, one of the most common is overspending. And, before you can control your spending, you need to know what you are spending, and where it is going.

Also, your spending is the one thing over which you have the greatest control. You can’t control interest rates, or the stockmarket, or your future job security (and hence income). In this age of uncertainty, it makes sense to have a good handle on the things that you can control – such as spending.

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